Hunter
made the remarks after addressing the St. Charles Parish Council about air
traffic at the airport. 2006 Archives | Board Agendas | Current News | Press Releases | PFC Reports | Statistics
December
November
Southwest adds Saturday
flights in N.O. 11/13/07
N.O. Aviation Board OKs bond sale of $88 million
Free Web access takes off at
airport
October
Fall Flight Schedules Improve, More Seats Available 10/5/07
January
Employee Newsletter
Spring 2007
Emergency director for Jefferson is hired 3/15/07
Pleasant Passages 3/11/07
Search for Airport Chief Lingers
3/5/07
Airport incentives
fuel drive for more carriers 3/5/07
February
Airport
expansion plan put on hold 2/28/07
Mardi Gras helps take
airport to new height 2/25/07
Airport had 6.2 million fliers 2/9/07
ExpressJet to begin
nonstop flights from N.O. 2/5/07
January
Sea gulls
ground jetliner, passengers 1/10/07
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Times Picayune
By Jaquetta White
Six teams, three games and one meeting of economists are adding up to few hotel rooms left in the Crescent City during what hospitality officials are describing as the busiest two-week stretch since Hurricane Katrina.
At least 150,000 visitors are expected through Jan. 7, starting Friday with the New Orleans Bowl and followed by the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1 and the BCS championship game Jan. 7. In between is the six-day American Economic Association's annual meeting. The projected economic impact is $500 million.
"It's about the best thing that could happen to start off the year from a hospitality standpoint," said Fred Sawyers, president of the Greater New Orleans Hotel and Lodging Association and general manager of the Hilton New Orleans Riverside. "The gods have smiled on us here; everything is working out well."
Although it's the smallest of the games, the New Orleans Bowl is expected to produce an economic impact of $15 million to $20 million. The game pits the University of Memphis, which played in the bowl in 2003 to record crowds, against Florida Atlantic University, which will be competing in its first bowl.
"We're looking forward to what kind of records will be broken this year," said Sam Joffray, a spokesman for the New Orleans Foundation, which hosts the annual bowl.
Touchdown for city
The economist meeting is expected to draw about 8,000 guests to the city Jan. 4-8, a week that does not usually carry a major meeting. A meeting that size has an average economic impact of about $10 million, said Mary Beth Romig, a spokeswoman for the New Orleans Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau.
But it's the unprecedented occurrence of two BCS games within one week that has the industry talking of Super Bowl-sized crowds and spending.
The Sugar Bowl pits the undefeated University of Hawaii against the University of Georgia. The 10-2 Bulldogs have a history of traveling in hordes to New Orleans for bowl games, hospitality officials said.
Six days later, LSU will play Ohio State in the national championship game.
"That's going to make this a very exciting area for about two weeks," said Ray Jeandron, president of the Sugar Bowl, which is hosting the January games.
This is only the second season that the national championship game has been a separate event from one of the four BCS games. Until last season, the Sugar Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Rose Bowl and Orange Bowl rotated the championship game, meaning that in a given year one of those host bowls would double as the championship. A fifth game was added in the 2006 season and played in Glendale, Ariz., one week after the Fiesta Bowl was held in the same city.
Sugar Bowl officials estimate that the two games will combine to have an economic impact of $400 million, about equal to the Super Bowl XXXVI, adjusted for inflation, in New Orleans in 2002.
Hot ticket
Jeandron said he expects Sugar Bowl crowds to exceed 50,000 in New Orleans. The championship game is expected to bring 70,000 to 90,000 people, he said.
"I don't believe we've ever had this much ticket demand for one of our games as we've had for the BCS championship," Jeandron said. "I think that the BCS championship game has been inching toward the NFL Super Bowl from the standpoint of it being a very popular, glamorous event."
It will be especially difficult to find an empty hotel room in the city Jan. 5, 6 and 7. Those nights leading up to the LSU -- Ohio State matchup are already sold out citywide.
"It's tight, let's face it," Sawyers said. "The city is very tight. Most everyone is sold out at this point."
The Ritz-Carlton is sold out for the championship game and nearly sold out for the Sugar Bowl, even with a four-night minimum stay requirement, hotel manager Zachary Curry said.
"So we've got them here for four, and in many instances they're choosing to stay for five and six nights," Curry said. "Both the Ohio State and Hawaii fans are making long weeks of it."
Paradise for Hawaii fans
In fact, the interest from Hawaii fans has been the surprise highlight for hoteliers, who initially worried that the distant school's fans would not travel in large numbers. But the college sold out of its initial allotment of 13,500 tickets and requested 1,000 more.
"I will tell you that it has been quite a nice surprise that Sugar Bowl demand has been high," Sawyers said. "We all know Georgia travels well, but Hawaii has been a surprise."
John McNamara, Hawaii's associate athletic director, said the excitement stems from several factors: the team's undefeated season, a Heisman Trophy-nominated player and the fact that the Sugar Bowl will be the school's first appearance in a BCS game.
Hawaii's excitement about the game may turn into a financial windfall for local businesses, because Hawaii fans are making a long vacation of their jaunt to the mainland, booking five- to seven-night stays in New Orleans.
"We were shocked that the market from Hawaii came on so strong," said Bob Bourg, general manager of Destination Management Inc., the official travel company of the Sugar Bowl. "We didn't anticipate that because it was so far away and there was no history. It's such a long distance, but these people, they're so excited."
Airport will be busy
Airport Director Sean Hunter said he expects charter flight activity into Louis Armstrong International to increase significantly four or five days before both the Sugar Bowl and the BCS championship game. Several airlines have added flights in preparation for the games, but charters are usually necessary to carry such large crowds into and out of the city from one location.
But the busiest time at the airport will be when those fans leave Jan. 2 and Jan. 8.
"It's the outbound leg we're concerned with," Hunter said. "The day the hotels boot everyone out at noon, the airport will have to be concerned, not so much with the people in the terminal, but their modes of transportation in and around the airport."
Traffic delays could delay travel plans and back up the airport.
"For the most part, we have put everyone on alert to be ready for a surge," Hunter said. "The airport, we've done (the Sugar Bowl) every year for as long as I've been here. We haven't had one that we can say went wrong. We're excited though about LSU being in the BCS championship. It lightens our load a little bit."
LSU faithful coming
When LSU took a spot in the championship game in 2003, there was consternation among hotel operators who envisioned less moneymaking potential with the home team in the game. Not so this year.
Bourg said his company bought a large number of hotel rooms in anticipation of the University of West Virginia playing in the championship game instead of LSU. He worried initially that his company would be on the hook for those rooms. But LSU fans, eager for tickets, have snapped them up.
"We're selling packages to LSU fans with rooms and tickets," Bourg said. "We're not just selling tickets."
Those packages, which include two- to three-night accommodations and a game ticket, are selling for about $1,200, depending on the hotel. Of the 1,200 packages initially available, only about 100 remained Wednesday, Bourg said.
On the other hand, hoteliers said the likelihood that LSU fans will book shorter hotel stays is actually a plus this year, because it frees up rooms for Hawaii fans who want to book long trips and takes the pressure off a market that would have struggled to accommodate two sports teams and an 8,000-person conference that ends two days before the game.
Looking up in 2008
The best part of this unprecedented bowl season is that it is only the beginning of much to come for the city and specifically the hospitality industry.
Mardi Gras is Feb. 5, less than a month after the championship game. The NBA All-Star Game is the following month, and the French Quarter Festival, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and the Essence Festival follow in short order. That, in addition to a convention and meeting schedule that is busier than this year.
"We hit the ground running next week, and we don't come up for air," Bourg said. "I think 2008 is definitely looking better for us than 2007 did."
The busy schedule will have the added benefit of helping the state showcase its ability to host major events, Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu said.
"I think the next six months are going to put an exclamation point on the fact that no one does it better than us," Landrieu said. "It will certainly give us a fabulous portfolio to show that we can handle the biggest events." From the Times Picayune, December 20, 2007
Southwest adds Saturday
flights in N.O.
Four nonstops start in 2008
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Times Picayune
By Kimberly Quillen
Southwest Airlines will add four Saturday flights to its New Orleans schedule next year.
Beginning March 8, the company will add one nonstop flight each to Baltimore/Washington D.C., Chicago, Fort Lauderdale and Tampa Bay.
In addition to the Saturday-only flights, Southwest also will add a permanent daily nonstop flight between New Orleans and Nashville in March.
"We're definitely still keeping our eye on that market, growing our service in a way that supports demand and encourages growth," Southwest spokeswoman Paula Berg said of New Orleans.
The announcement comes a week after the airline began operating eight new daily flights from Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, including three daily flights to Birmingham, Ala. Those additions bring the total number of daily flights Southwest operates from the Crescent City to 35, Berg said.
A total of 132 daily flights are currently operated from Louis Armstrong, 82 percent of the airport's pre-Katrina activity.
With the local travel market still recovering from Katrina, some airlines have experimented with once-a-week flights, while others have made a strategy of bringing in additional flights during periods of peak demand.
Continental Airlines, for example, consistently adds flights to its New Orleans schedule when the city is hosting a major event, airport spokeswoman Michelle Wilcut said. The airline is adding 1,500 seats to its normal schedule to accommodate football fans flying in for the Bowl Championship Series title game in New Orleans in early January, Wilcut said. And during Mardi Gras, Continental will add 10,000 seats.
All additional flights, even if they're one-day-a-week or offered only during busy periods, help the airport in its recovery.
"It fills that gap of the seats that we haven't permanently regained since the storm," Wilcut said. "It gets us a lot closer to being whole again." From the Times Picayune, November 13, 2007
N.O. Aviation Board
OKs bond sale of $88 million
Cash to help pay off runway, buy
loading bridges
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Times Picayune
By Richard Rainey
By August 2005, managers at the Louis Armstrong International Airport were basking in a financial coup: the complete revamping of a massive 10,080-foot runway paid for with loans from four local banks.
Then came the worst storm in regional history. Though the rains of Hurricane Katrina slid swiftly from the runway's new surface, they were less kind to the airport's financial standing. When the weather cleared, Armstrong's bond ratings tanked, investors became scarce, and the airport's future grew cloudy.
The airport's outlook changed dramatically last week. Its Aviation Board approved the sale of $88 million in bonds to pay back the banks, refinance other outstanding debt and buy 17 new passenger loading bridges. The vote both signaled a renewed faith by two Wall Street bond commissions in the airport's future but also became a bellwether for the region's continued recovery more than two years after the storm, officials said.
"This is a real milestone for us," board Chairman Daniel Packer said after the vote.
The two commissions, Fitch and Standard & Poor's, improved their ratings of the airport as more passengers began to fly and the region's economic recovery showed promise. The tipping point came when the airport earned the approval of Financial Security Assurance, a major insurer of airports. The company agreed to insure the bonds.
Now flush with new bond money, the board is expected to pay the four banks -- Whitney, Capital One, Dryades and Liberty -- the $49.6 million they pumped into the runway project before the storm. That 2004 contract came with the possibility of a two-year extension, a clause that gave the airport time to right itself in the bond market, said Ken Fullerton of Fullerton & Friar Inc., the board's financial adviser.
The board also plans to use its new standing to refinance more than $25 million borrowed in 1999 at a lower interest rate. Overall, the airport is more than $170.6 million in debt: an amalgam of other bonds along with borrowed federal and state financing, according to the board's financial estimates.
The new loading bridges are projected to cost about $10 million, officials said.
The new bonds will be repaid through passenger facility charges, which strictly cover capital improvement projects. Airport Director Sean Hunter estimated the $4.50 fee for each passenger boarding an airplane in New Orleans translates to about $15 million a year.
Passenger traffic is about 80 percent of what it was before Katrina, Hunter said, with the number of flights slowly increasing. The airport had 123 flights in September: 15 more than in 2006.
"This sends a signal to Wall Street that the airport is looking better in the future," Hunter said From the Times Picayune, November 13, 2007
Free Web access takes off at
airport
Wi-Fi service covers most seating areas
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Times Picayune
By Jaquetta White
Although she missed her flight and would have to sit in Louis Armstrong International Airport for six hours, Daria Palmer was in a good mood Wednesday afternoon. The jewelry and accessories designer who was heading to New York had discovered that the airport now offers free wireless Internet access.
"It's great. It's like a lifesaver," Palmer said. "I don't know what else I'd do."
In a move sure to please passengers, the airport on Tuesday began offering free Wi-Fi access in its terminal lobbies, gates and dining areas. The airport has invested $400,000 in the service.
"It's definitely a nice amenity for the traveling public," airport spokeswoman Michelle Wilcut said. "It's very good, and we've had positive reaction so far."
The airport has been testing the network for about two weeks, Wilcut said. There are 37 so-called "hot spots" in the airport, covering about 85 percent of the terminal's main level. So far, the only spots that don't receive the wireless service are at the airline ticket counters. The service also is unavailable in the baggage claim area.
"Coverage is pretty much anywhere there is a seating area," Wilcut said. "Essentially, it's free and complete coverage," although she added that the airport might consider charging for the service later.
The service is one of several updates included in the airport's nearly $15 million security operations project. The project also will add another wireless network for first responders to use during emergencies.
At a time when many people expect the Internet to always be at their fingertips, the airport before this week offered only limited wireless access near certain gates and for a fee. New Orleans' free wireless network, for the most part, is inaccessible inside the airport.
On Wednesday, signal strength was best in the seating area across from the House of Blues and Creole Kitchen stores, near the Southwest Airlines check-in counter. It also was good in the Popeye's and Sonic dining area, as well as in the seating area outside Concourse D, where Delta, Continental and JetBlue passengers check in. Service was a little slower in the seating area outside and inside the Acme Oyster House and Jazz Alley Lounge, where Internet pages took five to six seconds to load.
Wilcut said the airport is bound by a state law that limits the speed of free Wi-Fi connections.
The local airport is behind many other airports in offering Wi-Fi, or wireless fidelity standard. Many small airports offer the service for free, while most hubs, which are generally larger airports serving as connections for large numbers of flights, charge a fee for wireless service.
Both of Houston's major airports charge $7.95 per day for Wi-Fi access through Boingo, a wireless Internet provider. The Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta charges $7.95 to $10.95 for 24 hours depending on the service provider. DFW International Airport in Dallas offers Wi-Fi for $6.95 an hour or $9.95 a day.
Louis Armstrong International is considering charging for wireless access, but it first will measure user demand for the free service to determine whether a paid version would generate enough revenue to be worthwhile.
"Equipment will not be much to make that shift, but it would be a management issue," Wilcut said. "We would need dedicated staffing to actively oversee the Wi-Fi to ensure customer satisfaction if it is a service that is being paid for. Right now we don't have the manpower to roll that out, but we are looking at that possibility."
The addition of Wi-Fi comes as the airport is preparing to reach a post-Hurricane Katrina milestone this month. The number of daily flights operating from the airport will reach 132, or 82 percent of the pre-Katrina level, in November. Southwest, Delta and American are adding daily flights.
The new Internet service also comes during the middle of convention season, a plus for visitors like Patty Bajuszik, who was three hours early for her flight home to Pittsburgh after attending a conference at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside.
"I'm not early for anything in my life except a flight," Bajuszik said. "So to be able to use that time wisely is important." From the Times Picayune, November 1, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – October 12, 2007, New Orleans – Just in time for the busy convention season, fall will bring additional flights to Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.
For October, Armstrong International will have 126 daily flight departures with 14,701 seats available in the market. This equates to 77.8% of the pre-Katrina flights and 71.1% of the pre-Katrina seats. The October boost is attributed to Delta returning to 9 daily Atlanta flights and increasing the size of the aircraft for the New York LaGuardia flight. Also, American returned their third daily flight to Chicago after a summer absence and added a 4th flight to St. Louis.
November will bring substantial changes when Armstrong’s largest carrier, Southwest Airlines, adds 8 flights to the market. With those changes, Armstrong will reach a new high of 132 daily flights with 15,663 seats or the equivalent of 81.5% of the flights and 75.8% of the seats that were offered at Armstrong International pre-Katrina. Director of Aviation Sean Hunter stated, “This is a very significant milestone to exceed 80% of the pre-Katrina flights! The strong demand for air service is a great indicator of the region’s recovery.“
Southwest will be adding the following flights to New Orleans on November 4 for a total of 35 flights to 11 destinations from New Orleans.
· Three new daily nonstop flights to Birmingham.
· Two additional daily nonstop flights to Houston Hobby (for a total of 11 daily).
· One additional daily nonstop flight to Dallas Love Field (for a total of 6 daily).
· One additional daily nonstop flight to Las Vegas (for a total of 2 daily).
· One additional daily nonstop flight to Orlando (for a total of 4 daily).
“We’ve worked hard to bring the airlines back through air service incentives and providing them with useful data through on-going dialogue and face-to-face visits. One of the most productive tools has been bringing them to the N.O. area for site visits. Seeing the region for themselves and meeting with hospitality, business and community leaders has greatly improved the effectiveness of our communication and has produced tangible results. Adequate levels of air service are integral to our economic recovery,” concluded Hunter.
Emergency director for
Jefferson is hired
Safety expert to leave N.O. airport position
Thursday, March 15, 2007
By Meghan Gordon
Nearly a year after Jefferson Parish's emergency director stepped down, council members Wednesday approved hiring the New Orleans airport's safety and hazardous materials expert to replace Walter Maestri, once the region's most recognizable hurricane management expert.
Kenneth L. Padgett Sr. is expected to start March 31, giving him two months to learn the parish's updated emergency plans before the 2007 hurricane season. Parish administrators said Padgett's resume and scores of certifications stood out as the most qualified in the field of 21 candidates.
The Parish Council approved the appointment without comment, reversing several members' earlier plans to defer the resolution until their next meeting to give themselves more time to meet him and review his resume.
Padgett, 48, has supervised safety and hazardous materials responses at Louis Armstrong International Airport since 1990, writing many emergency procedures and developing training exercises for staff. He also works part time as an emergency medical technician for East Jefferson General Hospital and is a reserve combat and flight medic for the Louisiana National Guard.
Padgett previously coordinated all ground transportation at the airport, served as assistant operations chief of Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi, and was an airborne communications technician for the Air Force. He holds a bachelor's degree in professional aeronautics and associate's degrees in fire science and communications operations technology.
Council members said they had no reservations about supporting Parish President Aaron Broussard's pick after reviewing Padgett's experience and talking with him directly. Padgett's salary will be about $78,000.
"The resume's extensive," Chairman Tom Capella said. "He's qualified: from Army experience, to EMT, to fire experience, to running everything out at the airport."
Both Capella and Councilman John Young pointed out that Padgett makes a strong team with Mel Ryan, who was named assistant emergency director in July. Ryan is a retired State Police major with 32 years of experience at the agency.
"We didn't, luckily, have to see where Mel shines last year, and that's contraflow," Capella said. "If we ever have to put contraflow into effect, Mel Ryan, through his years with the State Police, would be an absolute expert on that." From the Times Picayune, March 15, 2007
PLEASANT PASSAGES
Louis Armstrong New
Orleans International Airport is preparing to invest $20 million in its
terminals, to make them more appealing and comfortable
Sunday March 11,
2007
By Jaquetta White
Business
writer
Sean Hunter is on a mission to achieve "potty parity."
That's what the interim director of aviation at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport is calling a newly launched $20 million plan to improve the look and feel of the airport's terminals, the first phase of which is to update the facility's restrooms.
Think more spacious bathroom stalls, marble countertops and hands-free faucets and toilets, to start. Once restroom renovations are complete, the airport plans to roll out new signage, remodeled ticket counters and terminals and an exterior facelift.
Hunter, who took over the airport's top slot in May, said the list of capital improvements will bring the aging facility "up to modern times." However, the improvements will not have a direct link to increasing air service from the airport.
The restroom upgrades are set to begin this year. Completing all of the improvements could take a year.
"These are improvements we believe go a long way toward coming back from Katrina," Hunter said. "The improvements will allow you to extend the current use of the facility."
Some of the planned changes could go unnoticed by airport users. For instance, moving the giant baggage scanners that now occupy space near check-in counters is a huge logistical task -- it requires relocating some offices -- that will provide more space and a cleaner look but probably won't win the airport any design awards. The scanners will be moved behind the ticketing area, where they will be out of the sight of travelers.
Others, such as the restroom modification, are more likely to make a splash, Hunter said.
The airport will spend about $20 million to upgrade its interior and exterior this year. The improvements will be paid for with insurance proceeds and the passenger fee the airport charges its patrons for usage.
"I know when folks think about it, they think $20 million is a lot of money," said Hunter, who previously served as the airport's deputy director of operations and maintenance. "I'm not going to stand for returning the airport to its current level. It's got to be better."
Outdated design
The airport, which is located in Kenner but owned by New Orleans, opened in the mid-1940s. Its design, Hunter said, is reminiscent of "1960s-style linear terminals," which allow little natural light in, a direct contrast to more modern airports that are brighter, a result of large window installations.
To bring Louis Armstrong on par with those facilities, the plan is to redesign the upper and lower curbside check-in areas to install glass walls from end to end instead of the current design of aluminum siding and glass doors, so that passengers can see through to the indoor ticket counters from their cars. The goal is to give the facility a look more like a storefront.
"For arriving passengers, it not only allows them to focus on where their airline is, but more importantly, it has the look of window shopping," Hunter said. "It just appears to be a more inviting atmosphere for the customer." Other outdoor improvements will include replacing terminal signage and installing a new ventilation system for car exhaust that often appears to be trapped in the pick-up area outside the baggage claim.
Inside, the airport is replacing its Flight Information Display System with flat screens and bringing a "more modern" design to the ticket counters. The worn chairs in waiting areas of the terminals will be replaced with more comfortable models that will match throughout the building, Hunter said. And the airport is considering relocating a jazz mural that overlooks the main terminal because it blocks a window.
But the most ambitious project, and the first the airport will embark on, is the restroom upgrade. As many as 1,400 to 1,600 passengers are boarding or deboarding planes at one time.
"You have to have restrooms to accommodate that," Hunter said.
The airport is working with design firms on plans to turn the cramped, unattractive restrooms into more spacious, appealing spaces. As planned the restrooms would have marble countertops, hands-free toilets and faucets and maybe even advertisements on the walls, Hunter said.
"It's not just making it all bigger," he said. "We know what we want."
Instead of doing all the improvements at once, the changes will be done piecemeal, beginning with the restrooms, to create as little disturbance as possible.
Usage increasing
The customer-focused upgrades are expected to do little to increase air service or capacity at Louis Armstrong.
Air service has been slowly climbing since the storm and reached its highest level since Katrina -- 110 daily flights and 13,465 seats -- last month during Mardi Gras. But the gains were only temporary.
Service is expected to fall to 109 daily flights and 13,106 seats this month and won't increase on a more permanent basis until upstart ExpressJet Airlines introduces new service in May. When that happens the airport will have 121 daily flights, or 75 percent of its pre-Katrina flights, and 13,706 seats, or 66 percent of its pre-Katrina seats.
Capital improvements that produce the most noticeable impact are those that directly increase air service and capacity, said Paula Hochstetler, president of the Airports Consultant Council, who is not familiar with the plans at Louis Armstrong. However, she said, with pressure on airports to generate "nonaeronautical revenue," such as that generated by concessions and stores, improvements that drive people to those places make sense.
That's what Hunter is hoping will happen.
"For a long time folks have endured flying, when they once used to enjoy flying," Hunter said. "We want to make that experience more hospitable, more pleasing to them."
Since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, ushered in a wave of airport security requirements, air travel has become more of a hassle, Hunter said. Although the time spent passing through security checkpoints has lessened, the headache most air passengers associate with those checkpoints has not, he said.
"We want to make that experience more hospitable, more pleasing to them."
Such change also can help to rebuild the tourism industry.
"The airport is the first impression visitors get of the city," said John Williams, director of the Lester A. Kabacoff School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Administration at the University of New Orleans. "An atmosphere that is quite warm when (visitors) arrive is a huge added value."
A more "aesthetically pleasing" airport also can drive locals to fly instead of using other means of transportation, Williams said. That would increase demand for air service and could help to get more airlines into New Orleans.
The current plans are not a replacement for previously discussed plans to expand or relocate the airport, Hunter said. New Orleans officials have long discussed building a second north-south runway in the St. Charles Parish LaBranche Wetlands. The city also has considered building a new airport in the Bonnet Carré Spillway or in eastern New Orleans.
But Hunter said those plans are on hold until air traffic reaches normal levels.
"When we approach pre-Katrina levels, we'll pull those old plans off the shelf, dust them off and see how they fit," Hunter said.
The airport also is considering ways to accommodate more technologically advanced travelers.
"The traveling public is a lot more sophisticated than they used to be," Hunter said. "They prefer electronic ticketing and online check-in."
Louis Armstrong is hoping to take those aspects a step further with off-site baggage check-in, modeled after a service introduced in the United States at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas. Travelers there can check their bags from their hotel room and have them sent off to the airport before they arrive. Hunter said the same system could apply here, eliminating some hassle for business travelers who hurry from meetings to the airport and onto a plane with little time to spare at check-in. The airport also is working on an alert system that would send a message to a passenger's cell phone as they walk through the airport alerting them to where certain shops and restaurants are located.
"We're going to be constantly in the mode of change," Hunter said. From the Times Picayune, March 11, 2007
Search for Airport Chief Lingers
by Jaime Guillet
03/05/2007
New Orleans
City Business
When former aviation director Roy Williams announced his departure from Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport for his hometown of Salt Lake City in April 2006, New Orleans Aviation Board Chairman Dan Packer said he hoped to have a new director in place within six month to a year.
Nine months have passed since Williams left and the aviation board had yet to hire a consulting firm to select job candidates.
“We fell behind for a lot of different reasons.” Packer said.
In the meantime, interim Aviation Director Sean Hunter has worked to increase air service after the airport experienced a sharp decline following Hurricane Katrina, Packer said. With air service inching close to pre-Katrina levels, the board is resuming its search for a consultant.
“Hopefully we can get back on track and have the consultant selected by the March (aviation board) meeting and be on our way with candidates after that,” Packer said. “We have not narrowed down a consultant yet (but) we’ll go with the recommendation from the personnel committee.”
Once the board chooses a consulting firm, it will provide a timeline for selecting an aviation director, he said.
For now, Hunter – who wants the job – holds an advantage since he is interim director, Packer said. From New Orleans City Business, March 5, 2007
Airport incentives fuel drive for more carriers
by Jaime Guillet
03/05/2007
New Orleans
City Business
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport officials hope regional carrier ExpressJet Airlines will be the first of many new flights landing at the facility post-Hurricane Katrina.
Armstrong officials have experienced a turbulent 18 months of rebuilding available air service and scheduling enough flights for incoming conventioneers. But interim Aviation Director Sean Hunter expects air service rejuvenated to pre-Katrina levels by early 2008.
“I’m looking beyond Katrina. It’s no longer my goal,” Hunter said. “I’m courting all the carriers. I’m not being picky. When we talk with (the airlines), we dig our heels in and say ‘Let’s look at your schedule and look at lowering your operating cost. You can do your maintenance here instead of somewhere else.’ We can create that here to bring in the service.”
Hunter plans to advertise in a major publication such as The Wall Street Journal or USA Today to invite carriers to bring their service to New Orleans by extending incentives such as no landing fees for new services and cheaper per-seat costs approved Nov. 15 by the New Orleans Aviation Board.
The open-ended New Orleans airport leases with airlines, which require no specific time lengths, make Armstrong an attractive site to add flights, Hunter said.
“ExpressJet is a big beneficiary of the opportunities,” Hunter said.
Houston-based ExpressJet will offer two daily 50-seat flights beginning April 30 to six destinations: Austin, Texas; San Antonio; Kansas City, Mo.; Birmingham, Ala.; Jacksonville, Fla.; and Raleigh-Durham, N.C.
That will bring the airport to 75 percent of its pre-Katrina flights for a total 121 daily departures to 38 cities, or 90 percent of its pre-Katrina destinations.
Negotiations between ExpressJet and Hunter succeeded in part because of the incentives. But ultimately, ExpressJet simply wanted to fly here, he said.
“We hope we can provide the service for your major corporations to non-congested hubs,” said Karen Miles, vice president of human resources and administration. “Our flights are scheduled for convenient times (so) business travelers can go up and come back all in one shot.”
ExpressJet will generate 2,500 new professional jobs earning an average $45,000 a year, said Jefferson Parish President Aaron Broussard.
“As a result it easily could be a boost for our housing market and spur a lot of economic development in Jefferson Parish.”
ExpressJet’s network planners must have identified New Orleans as worth the added service, said John Heimlich, chief economist for the Air Transport Association, a Washington-D.C. trade group.
“They’ve clearly concluded with their business model ... the financials are there and it’s attractive,” Heimlich said.
Carrier officials from Continental, Delta, American, Southwest and United visited Armstrong and New Orleans since January to see the state of the city, said Maggie Woodruff, airport deputy director of community and governmental affairs.
“Airline schedulers don’t usually go on site like sales people but seeing is believing,” Woodruff said. “They are actively looking at our numbers and we’re feeding it to them.”
Airline hubs such as Houston-based Continental and Dallas-based American have close ties to New Orleans, which contributes flexibility to supplying flights, Hunter said.
Continental stepped up service during conventions, holidays and events such as Mardi Gras, Woodruff said.
The Transportation Security Administration reports 92,000 passengers departed from Armstrong between Feb. 16 and Feb. 22, up from 67,000 over the same period in 2006 but down from 149,000 pre-Katrina.
Despite encouraging numbers, Hunter is aware Armstrong is competing with cities such as Miami and Denver for increased service. Also, New Orleans’ primary post-K flyer is a business traveler who tends not to book flights far in advance, which airlines don’t view as sustainable demand, Woodruff said.
Heimlich said airlines typically look at the demand characteristics of a metropolitan area such as whether there’s room to grow for leisure and business travelers.
Hunter’s six-month vision includes the business traveler, he said.
“Road Home checks (will be) in hand and people will be able to spend money. Contractors will line up and we’ll have that artificial citizen,” Hunter said. “Inside a year the competition is going to be fierce. We’re going to have some growing pains.” From New Orleans City Business, March 5, 2007
Airport expansion plan put on hold
Passenger traffic priority, chief
says
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
By Matt Scallan
St. Charles Parish and Kenner residents concerned about the further expansion of Louis Armstrong International Airport into the parish have a little breathing room.
Sean Hunter, the airport's interim director, said Monday that the airport, which in early 2005 announced it would study the possibility of building a new airport in the Bonnet Carré Spillway near Montz, said all expansion plans are on hold for now.
"We're putting all of our efforts towards building traffic to pre-Katrina levels, and while that's happening we're not going to be looking at expansion."
Hunter
made the remarks after addressing the St. Charles Parish Council about air
traffic at the airport.
New Orleans officials, who had long made building a second north-south runway in St. Charles' LaBranche Wetlands the airport's top construction priority, expanded their options in May 2005, when New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin announced that the city would consider building a new airport either in the spillway or in eastern New Orleans.
The airport is owned by New Orleans, but located in Kenner and St. Charles Parish. The current east-west runway is located in St. Charles.
To J.P. and Lynda Stevens, the news was horrifying. In 2003, the couple had moved to Montz from the Fairfield subdivision in St. Rose. The subdivision was targeted by the airport for purchase because the projected noise levels for traffic on the new runway would cause health risks to anyone in the neighborhood.
"We were pretty upset when we heard that it might follow us here," J.P. Stevens said.
After Nagin's announcement, the Federal Aviation Administration stopped work on the environmental impact study of the LaBranche runway option, until the city makes up its mind.
Hunter said Monday that all of the airport's options are still on the table, and that the airport will look at the issues anew when traffic returns to normal.
When it does, Kenner and St. Charles officials, long opposed to the airport's expansion, could rev up their opposition again.
But Hunter said new technology may give the airport more breathing room, even after traffic levels return to the pre-Katrina levels of 10 million passengers per year.
"With better avionics that are in the pipeline, there can be less separation between aircraft, which means we can land more planes on the runway in the same amount of time," he said. "That may give us more time to make a decision." From the Times Picayune, February 28, 2007
Mardi Gras helps take
airport to new height
Flight traffic busiest since
hurricane hit
Sunday, February 25, 2007
From staff reports
Air service at Louis Armstrong International Airport hit its highest level since Hurricane Katrina this month as airlines, particularly Continental Airlines, added flights and seats to accommodate Mardi Gras travelers.
During February, the number of daily flights to and from the airport reached 110, up from 103 in January, while the number of airplane seats reached 13,465, up from 12,641 in January, according to figures released by the airport.
Continental increased its service to Cleveland, Houston, and Newark, N.J., during the month to accommodate increased Mardi Gras and convention travel. This week, the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center is hosting the Healthcare Information Management Systems Society's annual conference, which is expected to bring more than 20,000 people to the city.
Activity at Louis Armstrong is expected to dip again in March, when the total number of daily flights falls back to 109 and the number of seats is projected to be 13,106.
But the debut of a new airline this summer promises to bolster activity on a permanent basis.
ExpressJet Airlines, an upstart airline based in Houston, will add 12 nonstop daily flights to six U.S. cities from Louis Armstrong beginning in May, becoming the first new airline to add service to New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina.
The addition of ExpressJet service this summer will bring the airport to 121 daily flights, or 75 percent of its pre-Katrina flights, and 13,706 seats, or 66 percent of its pre-Katrina seats.
Atlanta and Houston are the cities to which New Orleans flights most frequently connect.
This month, airlines operated 13 daily flights to and from Atlanta, which accounted for 1,583 daily seats.
Nine daily flights, or 1,183 seats, fly between Louis Armstrong and the William P. Hobby Airport in Houston. Thirteen other flights, or 1,888 seats, fly between Louis Armstrong and Houston Intercontinental Airport. From the Times Picayune, February 25, 2007
Friday,
February 09, 2007
Times Picayune
From staff reports
More than 6.2 million passengers flew in and out of Louis Armstrong International Airport last year, 64 percent of the all-time high of about 9.7 million passengers in 2004, according to figures released Thursday by the airport.
In 2005, the year Katrina hit, 7.8 million passengers used the airport.
"While the passenger numbers are down from years past, Armstrong International Airport has shown tremendous growth as the region continues to recover from Hurricane Katrina," Sean Hunter, interim director of aviation, said in a prepared statement. "The gap is narrowing each month as we proceed along this path of recovery. Air service continues to grow month over month."
Mail and freight handled at the airport were down as well with 101.5 million pounds of freight and mail being handled in 2006, 57 percent of 2004 levels.
Southwest Airlines remains the leading carrier at the airport with 24.2 percent of the market, down from 31 percent in 2004. But several other airlines increased their local presence. Continental, the first carrier to resume a full schedule following Katrina, captured 17 percent of the market, up from 11 percent in 2004. American captured 17 percent of the market in 2006, up from 12 percent in 2004. From the Times Picayune, February 9, 2007
ExpressJet to begin nonstop flights from N.O.
2007-02-05
1:47 PM CST
Beginning summer 2007, Houston-based ExpressJet will offer two daily 50-seat flights to six destinations: Austin, Texas; San Antonio; Kansas City, Mo.; Birmingham, Ala., Jacksonville, Fla., and Raleigh-Durham, N.C.
The increase would bring LANOIA to 75 percent of its pre-Hurricane Katrina flights, for a total 121 daily departures to 38 cities or 90 percent of its pre-Katrina destinations, said Sean Hunter, LANOIA’s interim aviation director.
“The markets (ExpressJet) offers nonstop service to is badly needed in New Orleans,” Hunter said.
“All of those cities are important to New Orleans doing well,” said Aviation Board Chairman Dan Packer.
Packer thanked Hunter and LANOIA for “coming up with other ways and other airlines to enhance service coming in and out of New Orleans.”
Negotiations between ExpressJet and Hunter’s office were successful, in part, because of a package of incentives LANOIA has been offering to airlines since November, Hunter said.
“The incentives helped the negotiations to go a lot smoother. We had two meetings in two days,” he said. “(But) the incentives, ultimately, were not the lure for ExpressJet. It was really the demand in the marketplace.”
ExpressJet’s new service in and out of New Orleans will be separate, with the company operating under its own branded service beginning in April, said Karen Miles, vice president of human resources and administration.
Primarily a corporate airline, ExpressJet has operated as Continental Express, the regional provider for Continental Airlines.
But starting in April, the carrier will offer flights to 24 cities under its own brand to “markets under served by the major airlines,” said Miles.
“We hope we can provide the service for your major corporations to non-congested hubs,” Miles said. “Our flights are scheduled for convenient times (so) business travelers can go up and come back all in one shot.”
She said the business model is set to offer conveniently timed, comfortable flights for both tourism and business travelers.
“Our price point is within the current cost structure of the airline industry,” said Miles.
Although fares can vary, a common price point would be between $320 but not exceeding $340, said Miles, who recommends interested travelers check ExpressJet’s Web site, www.expressjet.com, for accurate pricing.
Officials from the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau, Aviation Board and Jefferson Parish President Aaron Broussard’s office welcomed ExpressJet executives and thanked them for the added service at a ceremony held in Concourse D.
“Although ExpressJet is not new to Louisiana, with significant service in Shreveport, this is a significant milestone for our tourism industry recovering,” said Angelle Davis of Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu’s office.
“This really sends a huge signal that New Orleans is open and running for business,” said NOCVB Chairman Amy Reimer.
ExpressJet Airlines employs approximately 6,800 people and has a fleet of 44, 50-seat Embraer aircrafts. The carrier offers free meals and 100-channel XM radio to passengers. From New Orleans City Business, January 10, 2007
Sea gulls ground jetliner, passengers
Flock damages plane before it
takes off
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Times Picayune
By Michelle Hunter
A flock of sea gulls collided with a US Airways flight, forcing the jet to return to Louis Armstrong International Airport on Sunday morning and stranding some passengers in the city overnight.
None of the passengers was injured, but the birds caused so much damage that mechanics determined that the plane, a Boeing 737-400, was not airworthy, said Morgan Durrant, spokesman for US Airways.
Flight 758 was scheduled to leave New Orleans on Sunday at 7:35 a.m. for Charlotte, N.C., Durrant said. The plane holds about 100 passengers, though Durrant said he did not have specific information about how many people were aboard. The plane was traveling down the runway but had not yet taken to the air when about 10 or more seagulls hit the nose and flew into the engines.
US Airways was unable to find a spare plane and ended up arranging travel for most of the passengers on other airlines, Durrant said. But some unlucky passengers were stranded overnight. They were put up for the night in hotel rooms and continued their travel Monday morning.
The collision forced the airport to briefly shut down the runway and remove the strike "debris," airport spokeswoman Michelle Duffourc said.
The airport uses a federally mandated wildlife hazard mitigation program to reduce the possibility of bird strikes, she said. Procedures range from deterrents such as noise makers to lethal methods like using firearms.
While it's quite common for a plane to encounter one or two birds, Durrant said multiple bird strikes are rare.
"One bird doesn't do very much damage. Ten, however, can render an airliner unsafe to fly," he said. From the Times Picayune, January 10, 2007